Optical discs have been used to detect microscopic samples. The advantages of using optical discs for detection and characterization of microscopic structures are discussed in WO 96/09548 (Gordon) and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/421,870 (Worthington), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, consumers may be reluctant to use optical discs because microscope slides, rather than optical discs, are the conventional choice for performing assays.
Therefore, there exists a need to make an optical disc assembly that is adapted to accommodate microscope slides or the like. Nonoperational features or investigational features and structures can be disposed on the microscope slides. A standard optical disc reader may be used to both track the optical disc assembly and acquire investigational signals generated by the investigational features.